Wilmington forms a group to look at ways for the city to incorporate electric vehicle charging stations.
The 13-member Electric Vehicle Charging Station Working Group is made up of government, community, and business members - seven members were chosen by Mayor Mike Purzycki with the other six selected by Wilmington City Council.
The group is charged with trying to determine how to accommodate electric vehicle owners who need to charge their vehicles. It will also help guide law and policy related to a permitting process for charging stations.
A national consulting firm that helps public and private entities integrate clean energy technologies and strategies into real-world applications was hired by the city to consult the working group.
The mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff John Rago says the working group’s job is not an easy one.
"It's really a difficult task if you think about it. We're in a densely populated urban area. We don't have the luxury of being able to reserve parking spaces for people with electric vehicles so they can conveniently charge their vehicle out in front of their front door,” said Rago. “So we've got to try to figure out how to overcome some of these challenges."
Rago notes the group will meet publicly, and the public will have a chance to offer suggestions and ask questions.
He adds there’s no timeline yet for rolling out charging stations in the city.
"We don't know yet if we have a date certain for when we will have charging stations around the city, or when we will begin to permit property owners to establish their own charging stations. So these are some of the questions that this working group will be dealing with," said Rago.
The group is expected to submit its report in January.
